Improvement in grain-binders



5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. F. GORDON.

Grain-Binder. A No. 198,104 Patented -Dec.1l,1877.

74 2712 es sp s, I/we/z 50 1 QW W i a; w (2.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. F. GORDON.-

Grain-Binder. No. 198,104. Patented Dec. 11,1877.

N.PETERS, PHDTD-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. 0 c.

5 Sheets-Shet3. J. P. GORDON, Grain;'Binder No. 198,104. Patented Dec.11,1877.

N.PETERS; PHOTCLLFFHOGRA'PMER. WASHINGTQN. D. C.

v 5Sheets--Sheet 4. J. P. GORDON.

. v Grain-Binder. No. 198,104.- Patented Dec. 11, I877.

NPETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C

J. F. GORDON. Grain-Binder. No. 198,104. Patented Dec. 11,1877.

Whewes;

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

JAMES F. GORDON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-BINDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,104, dated December11, 1877; application filed October 25, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES F. GORDON, ofRochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Binders, which improvementsare fully set forth in the following specification, reference being hadto the 'accompanyin g drawings.

. Figure l is a rear elevation of a portion of a machine to which myinventions are attached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, aside elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1. .Fig..4 is a front elevation,

drawn to a reduced scale, showing pickers e 0, &c. Fig. 51s an enlargedsectional view of .the twister'head H, looking in the direc tion of thearrow 51 in Fig. 2, showing the twister t, &c.; Fig. 6, a plan view ofthe twister-head H, showing the top portion of the twister t uncovered,the pawl 11 &c. Fig.

7 shows the twister, with the binding-wire in two positions, the viewbeing taken as indicated by the arrow 3 Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows the twistert, binding-arm B, and several positions of the binding-wire, the viewtaken as I in" Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows the wire-clamping jaws j and j, theview taken in the direction 'of the arrow 3 in Fig. 5. Fig. 10 shows thewires clamped between the clamping-jaws j and centering-plates a overthe center of the twister t, the view taken as in Fig. 6. Fig. 11 showsthe lower portion of the twister uncovered, and the point at which thewire is out. Fig. 12 shows the annular pointed guard '6 partiallycovering the lower portion of the verse section of Fig. 15, as indicatedby the dotted line .90 and arrow y". Figs. 19 and 20 show the compressorattachment 0 re-engaging the compressing-cord 0 Fig. 21 shows the mannerof hanging the frame upon the the grain, as it is cut, is bound by theoperation of the machine. 7

The nature of the improvement consists in the employment of acompressingcord and friction-drum, and in connection therewith novelmechanical means by which the cord is caused to encircle and compressthe gavels, and automatically release the same,and at the same timebring the cord into position to compress each successive gavel, as willbe hereinafter more fully explained; in providing the binding-arm with adriving mechanism, by which it has a period of rest from its verticalreciprocation during the binding of each gavel; in providing a twisterby which the wire is-relieved from strain while being twisted, and inother improvements which will be explained farther on.

Referring to the drawings, Ais the frame and W the driving-wheel ofareaper, in which the cut grain is carried up over the drivingwheel, asindicated by the arrows f, and deposited in the receptacle 13. Motion iscommunicated to the long pinion P from the driving-wheel by means ofintermediate gearing a and the chain 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

'The gear G is driven by the pinion P, by.

means of which and the lever L and connecting-rod R the binding-arm andthe rest of the binding mechanism are operated in a manner similar tothat shown and described in my former patents.

The binder-armB, Fig. 3, is formed with a slot, cl, and the bracket g,which is rigidly fastened to the bifurcated head 0, has a slot of asimilar width, the upper end of which bends toward the right. Thebracket g and that part of the binder-arm containing the slot cl standside by side, parallel, and a little distance apart; and in the'spacebetween them, Fig. 1, the upper end of the connectingrod R is inserted,with its cross-pm or roller 0, extending either way through the saidslots. As the connecting-rod R presses upward, the pin 6 moves up alongthe perpendicular portion of the slot in the bracket g, moving the x thewire.

binder-arm till the slot cl of the same coincides with the inclinedportion of the slot in the bracket, (see dotted position,) when thevertical motion of the binder-arm ceases. While the hub c is carriedalong the lower portion of the wheel G the pin e moves up the inclinedportion of the slot in g, and no vertical motion of the binder-armresults until the said pin returns to the angle in the slot andcommences to descend. By means of this arrangement the point of thebinder-arm and the twisting device are kept relatively at rest while theends of the wire are-being twisted, and during the outward vibration ofthe binder-arm and twister-carrier.

k, the twister-carrier is supported and stead ied in its horizontalvibrations. The stud k extends downward from the under surface of thetwister-carrier (J, and supports at its lower end in a horizontalposition the gear G which, at intervals, revolves the twister-pinion p.

The gear G is provided with-curved slots, two of which are seen at s ands, Fig. 2; and n is a bar pivoted upon the stud k, resting upon the gearG, which is provided with a fixed pin, 1', that reaches downward intothe slot '8, 86C. The slotted connecting-bar a is pivoted to the fixedbar a at 0, and rests upon the bar a, to which it is movably attached.by means of the headed pin 1", as shown.

As the twister-carrier O swings in the direc-v tion indicated by thearrow y, the pin r glides outward along the slot .9 till it reaches theend 7 of the same, as shown in the adjacent dotted position, when thegear G is caused to revolve sufficiently to cause the-twister-pinion pto make several revolutions,sufficient to twist When the twister-carriermoves in the opposite direction, the pin 1 slides back to the oppositeend of the slot 8 at which point its motion is arrested, in consequenceof which the bar at is forced around its center 70. As the pin r isbrought by this motion of the bar n to the end of the curved slot 8, itslides up the inclined of the same, Fig. 14., and rides on the surfaceof the gear G until it drops into the next slot 8 Now, when thetwistercarrier 0 again swings in the direction shown by the arrow ysufficiently far to bring the pin 4" to the end of the slot 8, as abovedescribed, the gear G is caused to turn, as before, by the pin 1pressing the end of the curved slot. The pawl 10 engages a tooth of thegear G, and prevents any backward motion of the same which might tend totake place as the pin ris forced up the incline a, as above mentioned.

The gear G, by the means above mentioned, is caused to move on its axisintermittently,

. the periods of motion occurring when the wire is brought into positionto be twisted together upon each successive sheaf.

The twister I design to use is shown in plan at t, Fig.- 6, being aseries of hooks, and in elevation in Fig.7 and other figures. It isdivided into an' upper and lower portion by the annular groove a inwhich groove is inserted the pointed annular guard 6 Figs. 6 and 12.Fig. 12 shows this guard unobstructed and partially covering the lowerportion of the twister t, the upper portion of the twister being shownin section. The twister t is attached to the upper end of a verticalshaft, at the lower end of which is fastened thepinion p, as shown inFigs. 5 and 9, the said pinion 19 being intermittently revolved by thegear G, as above described.

The pawl 19 as shown in Fig. 6, and in the general view, Fig. 2, isattached to the fixed bar 12 against which pawl a tooth of the gear G isbrought just before the twister-head H reaches .the limit of its throwtoward the driving-wheel W. This turns the gear G slightly upon itsaxis, just sufficient to give the pinion p and twister about one-half arevolution, the use of which will presently be seen.

A, Fig. 9, shows the lower jaw j open, and, as it is closed by meanshereinafter described,

it confines the end of the wire, which lies across it and within theopening against the loop l, as indicated by the letter h. The wire thusheld is fully shown at w, in Fig. 7 the upper end extending upward tothe point of the binder-arm, as shown in the general view,

Fig. 3. The relative position of the wire 20', as thus held, withreference to the twister t and guard e will be more fully understood bylooking at Fig. 6, which shows the wire w as being in aconvenientposition to be swept by the hooks of the twister into the annular spacebetween the stem of the twister and the inner concentric circumferenceof the guard 0 Now, as the gear G Fig. 6, is brought in contact with thepawl p and the twister is therebyturned one-half way around, as abovedescribed, the'wire w is caused to take the position opposite, asrepresented at w. This new position of the wire to is clearly shown inelevation in Fig. 7, in which posi-.

tion it is held until the point of the binderarm brings the wire aroundthe gavel and down alongside of the twister, as shown at 20 Fig. 8. Atthis point the upper jaw j closes and gathers the said wire 'w in withthe wire 10 over the center of the twister, as.

now being revolved by the gear G, as above described, the two wires wand 10 are sheared off at the under side of the twister at 1), Figs. 8and 11, and the ends twisted firmly together below the point where theupper j aw j grasps the same.

It will be observed, by referring to Fig. 8,

that when the twister commences to revolve, and has madeahalf-revolution, the wires w and w will havecha'nged places-that is, theI former will occupy the position' represented by wl, drawn across theopen lower jaw j and into the opening h of the same, as shown at w finthe sub-figure A, Fig. 9.After the wire 24: is severed at thecutting-point 'v, and before the binder-arm commences to 'rise, thelower jaw j will slide shut and seize the said wire nearits end, and,when the binder-arm rises, thewire @0 becomes inits turn the wire w, asoriginally described in Fig. 7. When the lower jaw closes on the wire,as just described, theiupper jaw opens and releasesthe sheaf just bound,which falls from themachine.

The upper jaw j, Figs. Z'and 10, ispivoted to and between the upper andlower sections of; the centering-plate 6 Fig. 9, at the point a, and thejaw-rod Z is jointed tothe'said jaw at a This arrangement of the jaw,together with the hooked form of the same, causes it to act favorably inbringing the wire held by the binder-arm 1.0 Fig. 8, into the center ofthe centering-plate and between the hooks of the twister.

The lever 12, Fig. 3,-connecting the ends of the jaw-rods, I design tooperate substantially as in my patent above referred to. v

I form an offset in the binder-arm near its point, as shown in Fig. 8,the offset being away from the twister, so that therewill be space-backof the tightly-drawn wire w for the point ofthe jawj to reach in, in theact of gathering the said wire into the centering-plate, asabovedescribed.

i It will be observed,.on reference to Figs. 1 and 8, that the offset inthe binding-armdoes not extend entirely across the same, but that itislim'ited to the inside corner, and'that the outer edge or corner ofthe arm extends down in a straight line past the offset,-serving. as aguard to prevent the pressure .of the grain from forcing the wire backinto-the offset out of the reach of the'twisting devices.

In Fig. 12 will be seen the spring-guard s fastened to a distant partof. the metal plate forming the guard c and reaching across the annularspace to a point on or near the stem or shaft of the twister. As thewires press against the guard while being carried around by the twister,it springs out to the point of the guard e ,-thus closing theopeningatwhieh the wires entered, andpreventingtheir escape.

The annular space between the guard-plate stand the shaft of the twisteris sufficiently large to allowthe wire to move freely, and at the sametime the guard-plate keeps the ends of the wire from spreading orturningouthorizontally while being carried around, as they are inclinedto do. j

' The-wire for binding the grain is wound upon the reel E,,Figs. 1 and3, and passes thencethrough the end of the guide-arm F,

which is provided with a roller, and point of the binder-arm, down tothe'lower jaw j.

I is a cord-pulley, forming part of the reel around which the frictionor tension cord K passes, which cord is drawn tight, having itsendsfastened in the clamping-block M. One end of the cord K is made fastin the hole a of the said block, and the other, after being carriedaround the pulley and drawn to any degree of tension, is passed throughthe hole a under the clamp-screw 8 by which it is made fast. Thefriction between the pulley I and cord K' serves as a tension for thewire.

The guide bar or arm F, (best shown in Fig. 3,) is fastened to thebracket 9, and swings laterally with the same, which keeps the end ofthe wireguide at all times nearly over the point of the binder-arm. Thisrelieves the cramping and friction of the wireas it is drawn through theopening in the point of the binder arm that attends the guiding of thesame through a relatively-fixed gulde, as-heretofore practiced. w

The guidearm F is designed to be made stiff, so that it will not yielddownward as the wire is drawn from the reel by the descent of thebinding-arm; but the reel is purposely mounted upon a yieldingspring-standard, 0 by which anyunusual ten sion upon the wire may berelieved. For instance,"when thereel is wound full, it is easilyrevolved by the wire drawing upon the outer circumference of the coil,and the tension of the wire is only maintained by the friction betweenthe cord K and the pulley I; and when the reel is nearly exhausted thewire draws from a point near the axis of the same, in which case thefriction upon I has the advantage of leverage, which would cause toomuch tension on the wire were it not that the spring-standard 0 yieldsforward in obedience to this tension, and relieves the friction on Iabove mentioned. By this arrangement the tension upon the bindingwire isequalized, and the same may be made greater or less by regulating thestrain upon.

the cord K, as above described. g

0 Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is a compressing cord or cable, one end of which isdetachably connected tothe compressor attachment O-fixed to thebinder-arm, near its point. From the attachment 0 the said cord extendsdown to the twister-head H, over the roller d, and under the roller 0?,Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig.5,

thence back over the roller d, and downward around the tension orfriction drum N, which is preferably attached to the driving-shaft J.

The said drum N is so constructed that it revolves with the shaft J, orin the opposite di rection wheu the upward movement of the binder armdraws upon the compressingcord 0?. v

The interior construction of the drum Nwill be understood from observingthe enlarged sectional view, Fig. 13, Sheet 1. b is a circular metaldisk, made fast to'the shaft J. The drum I) fits freely upon the :shaftat t, and its interior diameter is made slightly greater than thediameter of-the disk I)? Within the drumare confined severalfrictiondisks, 0 of leather, wood, rubber, or other suitable material,and by adjusting the pressure on the same by turning the jam-nuts f anydesirable amount of tension or strain may be put upon thecompressing-cord C The cord 0 is provided-with a ball or en-1arge1nent,.g, at its end, which is lodged in the cavity h of thecompressor attachment 0, as shown in the enlarged Fig. 15. The tortuousopening in the attachment 0 is of such a nature that the said ball isreleased only at a critical moment in the movement of the binder-arm, aswill presently be explained.

Fig. 16,is a front elevation of the attachment 0, and Fig. 18 across-section upon the line 00 of Fig. 15, showing the ball g lodged inplace. If we conceive the binder-arm with this attachment 0 as occupyingthe position shown in Fig. 1, and moving against the grain in thereceptacle, as indicatedby the arrow 1 the compressor-cord C will bepressed back by the grain in a curved form, as shown. As the binder-armmoves on, the said cord will assume sharper. curves, and its-variouspositions with reference to the attachment 0 will be represented by thenumerous dotted positions shown in Fig.16, 0 being its relative positionwhen the binder-arm is at its lowest point and pulling downward on thesame. The narrowness of the space 1 in the attach,- ment 0 back of thetongue 6, Fig. .18, prevents the ball g from being drawn through at anytime, and the cord C is drawn around the tongue 6 at every positionuntil it slips over the top'of the same, which occurs when near theposition represented at 0 Figs. 15 and 16. Then the cord slips off theend of the tongue 45 it assumes the position represented atO but theball isnot yet released, being temporarily caught in the concave ledgem,

Fig. 17, forming the upper wall of the cavity h. The ball is held inthis position with the cord drawn tightly around the gavel during theperiod the binder-arm is at rest at its lowest point, as heretoforedescribed. When the twisting has been effected and the binder-armcommences to rise, the tension on the cord ceases, and the ball thusreleased drops upon the lower inclined wall 4? of the cavity h, andescapes, releasing the bound sheaf. Just before the ball g escapes fromthe cavity h as above described, the cord 0 is again caught within themeshes of the attachment 0 at a point some distance away from the ball,preparatory to its becoming a compressor for the next gavel. It isaccomplished as follows: Overlapping and outside of the tongue i is thethin, broad, and slightly-curved guard G pointing downward. WVhen thebinder-arm moves downward through the twister-head H, the point of thesame passes immediately back of that portion of the cord 0 that is drawntaut from the roller (1 across the-head .H, and around the gavel S, asshown in Fig. 19. As the said arm continues downward and reaches itslowest point the cord 0 is brought to the relative position shown atFig. 20, inside of the guard G and some distance above the point of thetongue 1'. Now, as the arm rises the ball drops out, as above described,and the cordeasily-slips down back of the tongue 6, as will be readilyunderstood by observing Fig. 20, and the position of the cordrepresented at 0 Fig. 15.

As soon as the ball is disengaged, relievingthe tension on thecompressor-cord, the friction-drum N, Fig. 1, which had its motion reversed, unreeling; the cord while the binderarm encircles the gavel, andwhich was held relatively at restwhile the binder-arm rested, commencesto turn with its shaft, and winds in the surplus compressor-cord in thedirec.- tion shown by the arrow y Fig. 20. This brings the ball g backto the cavity h in the attachment 0, from which it had just escaped, asabove described, the position of the compressor-cord and ballbecomingagain as shown in Figs. 15, 16, and 18. This operation of the ballandcompressorcord is repeated with the binding and releasing of eachsuccessive sheaf.

The compressor attachment upon the binderarm, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3,is differently constructed from the one just described, beingsubstantially the same inverted. It operates by releasing the ball in amanner similar, but contains no tongue 6, and catches the compressorcordin back of the guard G when it moves upward insteadof downward. As thebinderarm moves downward into the twister-head H, the point of the samepresses the cord into the hook i, which holds the same steady, and in aposition convenient to pass in back of the guard G as the binder-armrises, said guard pointing upward.

The grain, as it is brought up by the elevators, drops onto thereceptacle B and under the strips D, Figs. 1 and3, the latter forming awind guard, which prevents the grain from being blown off and scatteredby the wind. The strips D are hung to the shaft U, which is mounted onprojecting hangersfaste'ned'to the adjustable receptacle B, and locatedsome distance above the elevator, said strips resting by their weightupon the grain as it lies in position toibe bound.

- The upper surface of the twister-head H stands abovethe surface of thehorizontal portion of the receptacle B Figs. 1 and 3, upon which thesheaf while being boundis carried along over the said portion of thereceptacle, comparatively free from and without dragging upon the same.

Fig. .tshows a front elevation on a reduced:

scale of a portion of the machine, showing the pickers or.feathering-fingers e? and e. They are pivoted upon the pins v and '0respectively, of the revolving disks a and a", fitted upon theroller-shafts that carry the elevatorbelts B and are provided with slotsthat slide upon the studss. The lower arm serves to clearthe .point atwhich .it is located from straw that is inclined to lodge and tangle,and.

same Within the tire.

the tire may be tightened within a few min nected to the stud h, and bymeans of this arrangement the binding mechanism and weight P move inopposite directions when theformer 'is being shifted, keeping theaggregate weight of both substantially balanced upon the driving-wheel.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, in the present patent the automaticbalancing of the machine as the binding mechanism is adjusted forwardand backward, as means to that end .are provided in my patent of October26,1875.

In that patent, however, provision was made more especially for shiftingthe drivers seat and reel or other part of the machine as a bali ance.The present invention is designed to overcome objections incident to theshifting of I said parts, and consists in the use of a counter-weightfor the special purpose of balancing the binding mechanism.

In Fig. 2 the driving-wheel W is shown in section. The flange s and thehexagon-shaped hub a form one piece, and to the said flange s isfastened the gear G which turns with the driving-wheel. The flange s isprovided "with a hexagon-shaped eye, which fits and may slide upon thehub ad, thetwo flanges being tied together by the tie-bolts j j &c.

The spokes of the driving-wheel being placed obliquely between the fellyand the flanges, as the latter are brought toward each other with thetie-bolts the spokes will be forced out against the felly, tighteningthe By this arrangement utes at any time, and the labor upon the wheelis distributed equally upon both sets of spokes, and the gear G is notdrawn sidewise or out of line with the pinion P, for the flange s isstationary, and only the flange 8 moves when;

the tie-bolts are drawn up.

Fig.21 shows the manner ofhanging the frame upon the driving-wheel W.Theview is taken in the same direction as that of the adjacent figure,3, drawn to a reduced scale, with everything on the side of the driving--wheel toward the observer remover I Q is a timber mating with Q ,lyingbeyond the driving-wheel, the position of which tim- *bers anddriving-wheel between being shown in Fig. 1.

H H are hangers bolted to the opposing faces of the said timbers, eachhanger being provided with a circular groove or slot, as -shown 'at KFig. 21, made concentric with.

' the shaft D Within these slots,which stand facing each other, the endsof the shaft t that passes through thezhub a of the drivingwheel, rest.The shaft t does not revolve, the

hub of the driving-Wheel beingloosely fitted to turn upon the same.

Fig. 1, and the full lines of Fig. 21, show the frame dropped to itslowest position, the shaft t of the wheel W resting at the upper cndofthe slots k By raising the frame as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 21,and securing the ends of the shaft in the slots k by some suitablefastening, the height of the cut of the sickle-bar maybe regulated atpleasure. The concentrieity of the slots k and the shaft 1) serve tokeep the teeth of the gear G and pinion I in gear at all times.

The slack of the chain 0,Fig. 1,is designed to be taken up by adjustingthe roller r up or down along-the slot 6 as shown.

By means of the clutch P, Fig. 2, the whole moving portion of thebindingmechanism may be thrown out of gear at pleasure. I also employthe clutch P, Fig. 3, on the pinionshaft J, by which the bindingmechanism may be stopped at any time. This clutch is designed to beoperated by the lever E Figs. 1 and 2, a connecting-rod from which is toextend to within reach of the driver.

It may be desirable to employ a long chain, as shown by the continuousheavy dotted line N todrive the rollers, &c., around which it passes,all directly from the drivingchain wheel W employing an idler, as shownat W located so as to keep the chain sufficiently around the wheel W.

The lever L, Fig. 3, may be so constructed as to operate directly uponthe extended rear end of the binder-arm, as shown in the modi: fication,Fig. 22. y

As shown, the rear end of the lever L is ex.- -tended and bent upward,having a pin or roller, p projecting from its side near the end, whichplays in the sinuous slot at of the binder-arm. The slot 61* must be soshaped that the traversing of the pin or roller 9 along the same, as thegear Gis revolved, Will give to the binderarm the desired motion. Forinstance, when the said gear revolves so as to carrythe pin 10 up to thepoint p in the dotted are, it will have reached the point I in the slot01 and the binder-arm will be at its lowest position, as shown in dottedlines.

The remainder of the slot Z to I will occupy the position in dot- -tedlines from p to 19 which coincides with the dotted are centered at 0 andconsequently there will be no vertical motion of the binderarm while thepin traverses the same. This gives the binder-arm the period of restnecessary, as above described.

The movement of an arm vertically and laterally around an axis by thedirect action of a crank, I do not claim per se,bein g aware that asimilar arrangement has been hitherto employed in connection withharvester-rakes.

Instead of the long pinion P, I may use a short pinion to drive the gearG, fitted to slide upon the shaft J, said shaft being provided with aspline of Sufficient length to accommodate the longitudinal movement ofthe pinion, which is provided-with a' groove or keyway, fitting thespline.

Flanges cast at the ends of the teeth of the pinion would prevent thegear moving away from it as the same was shifted.

A spoked wheel might be used instead of the slotted plategear G, thespokes being properly beveled, so the pin 4' of the bar a would slide upover them as the bar a moved back. Also, instead of the teeth on thegear G and pinion p, a chain might be mm on the periphery of the two, bywhich the pinion would be driven.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination ofthe binding-arm 'B and actuating-arm L, both extended in rear of theirpivots, with a connecting-bar, It, attached to their rear ends,substantially as shown, whereby an unobstructed space is left for thegrain underthe entire length of the binding-arm.

2. The vertical rock-shaft, provided with-the twister-carrying arm,andwith the binder-arm mounted on a horizontal pivot, in combinationwith operating mechanism, substantially such as shown, arranged to rockthe shaft and to hold the binder-arm down, and prevent a vertical motionof the same during its movement backward with the grain.

3. The combination, in a grain-binder, of a slotted bracket or guide, g,a pivoted slotted binder-arm, and an actuating pin or roller, 0,arranged to play in the slots of said parts, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4.. The combination, in a grain-binder, of the slotted pivotedbinder-arm, the slotted bracket 9, the connecting-rod It, with pin 6,and the actuating-lever L, substantially as shown.

5. The vertical rock-shaft, having the binderarm and the wire-guidingarm F, both mounted thereon.

6. In a grain-binder, the combination of a reel, E, provided with apulley,I, and mounted on a yielding support, 0 a friction-band, K, andthe binding-wire, substantially as shown, whereby the wire is caused tocontrol its own tension.

7. The binder-arm B, wire-guide F, reel E, and tension devices, allarranged to vibrate horizontally about a common center, as shown.

8. In a grain-binder, a device, 0, constructed substantially as shownand described, in combination with a binding-arm and a compressing-cord,substantially as shown, whereby the cord is caused to encircle thebundle, and released at its end to permit the escape of the same.

9. In a grain-binder, the combination, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, of a compressing-cord, G a device for taking the same up whenreleased, and a movable device,

0, substantially such as shown, arranged to carry the free end of thecord around the bundle, and at the proper time release said end andseize vthe cord at a point one sideof the bundle, as described.

10. In a grain-binder, the combination of a compressor-cord, C or itsequivalent, a bind; er-arm or equivalent device for passing the samearound the bundle, and a drum, N, driven by friction, arranged to takeup said end when released or slackencd, substantially as shown anddescribed.

11. In a grain-binder, the combination of a vibrating binder-arm, aoontinuously-rotatin g take-up drum, N, driven by friction, and acompressin g-cord, G or its equivalent, having one end attached to thedrum and the other connectedwith the binder-arm, substantially as shown.

12. In a grain-binder, the combination of the compressor-cord G and thedevice 0, arranged to operate as shown and described, with the hook i,as and for the purpose set forth. I

13. In a grain-binder, the combination of a slotted table and atwister-head-mounted on a carrier below the table,-and extending upwardthrough the slot and above the face of the table, as shown.

14. The pivoted wire-clampin g jaw j, in combination with thecentering-plate e substantially as shown.

15. A track, T, and roller 0 in combination with the swingingtwister-carrier O, as and for the purpose set forth.

16. The combination of the twister and its actuating-wheel mounted onthe vibrating carrier O, with mechanism, substantially such as shown,for imparting an intermittent motion to the actuating-wheel and twister.

17. A pawl, 10 in combination with a fixed bar, m or its equivalent,wheel G and twistercarrier G, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

18. In combination with the rolls a and having the carrier-apron mountedthereon, the teeth 0 and 0 mounted on crank-pins on the outer ends ofthe rolls, outside of the edges of the apron, as and for the purposedescribed.

19. In atwisting mechanism for grain-binding machines, a guard-plateprovided with an annular opening, havin an inlet closed by an extension,0 and a spring-guard, s

20. A twister, t, longitudinally furrowed, so as to form a series ofhooks, the same being divided into an upper and lower portion by agroove, 60, in combination with the annular guard 0 substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

21. In a harvesting and binding machine, the combination of the shiftingbinding mechanism, the special counter-balance P therefor, andintermediate connecting mechanism, substantially such as shown, wherebythe binding mechanism and weight are moved in opposite directions andthe proper balance of the machine maintained at all times.

'22. In combination with a binding-arm, or similar device to carry itaroimd the bundles of grain, a compressing-cord having one of its endsheld by a frictional device in such man-.

er-arm, having its end extended in rear of its horizontal axis, andoperating devices connected with said extended end, whereby anunobstructed grain-space is afforded under the binder-arm, as shown.

JAMES- F. GORDON.

Witnesses Z. L. 'DAVIs, E. B. WHITMORE.

